Joe Rogan will be speaking out about the “most regretful, shameful thing” that he has ever had to discuss. A podcast host whose Spotify deal worth $100 million has been questioned by many artists in recent weeks is responding to a viral video that shows his past use the N-word.
Rogan, 54 years old, shared a video on Instagram Friday night in which he expressed his “deepest, most sincere” apologies.
“I made this video to share the most shameful and regretful thing I have ever done publicly. A video of me using the N-word is out. This video is a compilation of clips taken from 12 years of conversations on my podcast. It’s all muddled together. Rogan stated that it looked “f—ing terrible, even to myself.”
“It’s not allowed for a White person to use that word in any context, let alone publicly, on a podcast. That is something I know most people don’t believe.” It’s something I haven’t used in many years. For a long time, I used to say it instead of the N-word when bringing up that word. As long as the context was right, I believed people would understand what was happening.
Rogan gave “context” to his repeated use of the term in the past. He said that he had previously used the word on air when discussing “how the times have changed so much since then.” Rogan also mentioned how Richard Pryor used the phrase as one of his album titles.
“I also spoke about how there is no other word like it in English. It’s a word that only one group of people can use, and they can use the word in so many different ways. It’s toxic and racist if it’s used by a White person. However, a Black person can use the term. Although it is a strange word, it is not one I would use. That is something I am well aware of.
It was that way for years. It was never meant to be racist. I wish I could. It’s impossible. He said that he hoped that this could be a teaching moment.
Rogan also spoke out about another clip, which he resurfaced and shows him talking with friends about a time when he saw the “Planet of the Apes”, in a Philadelphia neighbourhood. Rogan said that the podcast was removed because it was inappropriate.
It wasn’t racist, but it sounds horrible. It is horrible even when it is viewed in context. I was trying to entertain. Rogan stated that I was not trying to offend anyone with racism and I would never want to.
It looks terrible, holy s–t. It’s part and parcel of me having this podcast for thousands of hour, thousands of episodes over twelve years. It’s fine to say a lot of stupid stuff, but not when it comes to race.
After artist India posted about the comedian’s use of the racial slur, it became viral online. Arie explained why she asked Spotify to remove her music. She also took issue with Rogan’s comments regarding COVID-19 vaccines and said that she was also concerned about “his language about race.”
Rogan was also accused of spreading “misinformation” about COVID-19 in conversations during some of his episodes. This led to protests from progressives. Neil Young was the first artist to ask Spotify to remove his music. Other artists such as Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren David Crosby followed their lead.
In a video that lasted almost 10 minutes, Rogan broke his silence about the controversy. He talked about how it was difficult to prepare for shows that are spontaneous and unscripted. Young defended his interviews to Dr. Peter McCullough (a cardiologist) and Dr. Robert Malone (an infectious disease specialist). This led to some criticism that ultimately led to Young asking for the removal of his songs from the platform.
Rogan questioned the “misinformation” claim, given the fact that so much remains to be learned about COVID-19. Rogan stated that Spotify would now place a disclaimer at interviews and that he might also consult an expert who has a different view.
